Choice D: Start the Coding Course

Code.org has several courses for elementary students to teach them how to code. I’m going to be going through the more advanced courses to see if they’re worthwhile over the winter break, but the first course is fun and teaches you beginning concepts. Follow the directions in the video to get an account and get started.

Step Three – Upload to Blog

Step One – Do Research on Your Artist

Use the databases on Mrs. Salazar’s Library page to do your research, particularly InfoBits. If – and only if – you can’t find enough information using those resources, then check with Mrs. Gamboa or Mr. Mattson about using another source.

Step Two – Organize your notes

You’ll probably want to put them in chronological order, but you’ll also want to organize your information. For example, you will want to put information about a painting next to that painting. You might want to put information about their artistic importance together or any information you can find out about their influences and family.

Step Three – Write the biography

The most important thing here is not to plagarize the research you’ve done. In other words, you don’t want to copy word for word the information you recorded. One way is to have one person read aloud a group of notes and then try to write that information in your own words without looking back at those notes – until you’ve finished, to check you haven’t misstated any facts.

The other way that helps to frame your research in a unique way. For example, you could write the biography as if you were that person experiencing those events. Or you could write it as the “The Five Most Important Dates in _______’s Life” and incorporate the information you found into those events.

Step Four – Make a Keynote

Start a Keynote. Start with a title slide which will be like your table of contents. On that slide you’re going to have a biography button and a portfolio button.

Add another slide by clicking the + button. Now you’re going to start the biography. Don’t try to paste your whole biography onto one slide. You want to break it up into 3 – 4 slides. You want to use pictures that illustrate something that is mentioned on that slide.

After the biography, put another series of slides with their most important artwork. Leave room for buttons which will get the viewer through the slides.

Step Five Extra – Change the Color of the Home Icon

Step Six – Export Webpage

After you’ve exported it, you can test it out by dragging the index.html file to the Safari icon in the dock. If it’s working to your satisfaction, let Mr. Mattson know. He will upload it to a web server so it can be seen on the internet. You’ll then be able to link to it on your blog.

Extras

Here’s where I got the idea to use Keynote to make a webpage. If you’re having trouble figuring out the directions in one of the videos above, you might want to get the information from a different point of view and see if it helps.

Part Three – Finishing Up

For this project, you’re going to create a silhouette image of yourself and then fill it with five adjectives that describe you.

Step One – Five Adjectives

You’re going to come up with five adjectives and then post it to Edmodo.

Step Two – Get a Picture

Get a picture taken of you in front of the blue butcher paper with the iPad. (The blue butcher paper will help you make a transparent background by making it easier to remove in step four.) Make sure you’re looking to the side. You can be doing something you like to do (throwing a football, power walking, dancing, laughing, etc).